Asus Zenfone 2 launched in US, unlocked variant available for $299: Is the smartphone worth buying?

Asus' much expected Zenfone 2 series of smartphones have finally reached US shores, and will be available for purchase beginning 19 May.

The USP of the Asus Zenfone 2 (like the earlier Zenfones) is its pricing. An unlocked high-end variant of the Zenfone 2 can be purchased for $299 (£191), whereas a comparatively low-end technical edition costs $199 (£91).

The above price tags should give smartphone buyers, especially those looking at purchasing their first smartphones, plenty to cheer about.

It is worth noting that Asus' original Zenfone series was not launched in the US, despite the fact that these handsets were considered to offer substantial value-for-money by people in other parts of the world.

Is an Asus Zenfone 2 worth purchasing in the US?

An important factor, as described above, is that a variant of the smartphone series offers buyers a 4GB RAM, along with a pretty intuitive 64-bit Intel Atom Z3580 processor. This combo generally allows users to run high-end games and also provides for a comparatively fast computing experience.

Asus' Zenfone 2 series of smartphones, once officially released in retail stores across the US, will compete with various currently existing smartphones, out of which a predominant one is the ageing Moto G (2014).

The OnePlus One is also potentially bound to face intense competition from Zenfone 2 smartphones as far as tech-specs and value-for-money offerings are concerned.

Read our technical comparison of the Asus Zenfone 2 and the OnePlus One.

Key technical specifications of Asus' Zenfone 2 series of smartphones

Asus Zenfone 2 comes in three variants viz ZE550ML, ZE551ML and ZE500CL, incorporating the following key hardware aspects:

Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML:

• 5.5in IPS capacitive display, enclosed in Gorilla Glass 3, having resolution of 1080x1290
• Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box, with Asus ZenUI on top
• 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Atom processor in the 4GB RAM variant and 1.8GHZ quad-core Intel Atom processor in the 2GB variant
• 13MP rear camera
• 5MP front camera
• 2 and 4GB RAM variants available to buyers
• 16/32/64GB internal storage
• MicroSD card slot for expansion of internal storage up to 64GB
• 4G LTE, HSPA, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and microUSB connectivity
• Fixed 3,000 mAh Lithium-Polymer battery

Asus Zenfone 2 ZE550ML:

• 5.5in IPS capacitive display, enclosed within Gorilla Glass 3, having resolutions of 720x1280
• Android 5.0, with Asus ZenUI on top
• 1.8GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3560 processor
• 13MP rear camera
• 5MP front camera
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB internal storage
• MicroSD card slot for expansion of internal storage up to 64GB
• 4G LTE, HSPA, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and microUSB connectivity
• Fixed 3,000 mAh Lithium-Polymer battery.

Asus Zenfone 2 ZE500CL:

• 5in IPS capacitive display, enclosed in Gorilla Glass 3, having resolution of 720x1280
• Android 5.0 Lollipop, with Asus ZenUI on top
• 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Atom Z2560 processor
• 8MP rear camera
• 2MP front camera
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB internal storage
• MicroSD card slot for expansion of internal storage up to 64GB
• 4G LTE, HSPA, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and microUSB connectivity
• Fixed 2,500 mAh Lithium-Polymer battery